The mention of the claw marks made me wince as my brain registered the pain once more. “Yeah, you’re right. They’re starting to burn.”
“You take care of yourself, Rose,” the sheriff said.
“I always do,” I said. If there was one thing I’d learned in my crazy life, it was how to survive.
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning I dropped off Marley at the academy and headed straight to the sheriff’s office to give my report. His door was open, so I knocked on the wooden frame. “Good morning.”
His head jerked up. “Hey, Rose. How’s your back?”
“Better,” I said. Marley had been asleep when I arrived home and Mrs. Babcock had insisted on taking care of my wounds herself. The brownie was like Mary Poppins without the umbrella.
He waved me forward. “Come and sit. I promise I won’t bite.”
I entered the office and plopped down in the chair opposite his desk. “Paperwork?” I asked, noting the scattered pages on his desk.
“Yep. Got a heap of it now that Jake and Dana have been apprehended.” He wore a vague smile. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Anything for you,” I replied.
His expression turned sad. “Not anything, Rose.” He shook his head, as though silently chastising himself. “How’d you figure out it was them? Deputy Bolan and I were talking about it last night and couldn’t put it together.”
“It was only last night when we ran into Kitty, the receptionist from Dana’s office, that all the pieces clicked into place.”
“We?”
I swore in my head. “Alec and I were at the Whitethorn for a drink.”
His jaw tensed. “Got it.”
“Kitty mentioned that Dana had quit and was taking a new job. Jake had also mentioned moving out of Starry Hollow to somewhere far away. The timing was too suspect. Then I remembered a story Bentley had told me about his fiancée’s aunt and uncle.”
His brow creased. “The elf in your office? What do they have to do with Jake and Dana?”
“They’d been married and then had a bitter divorce, and now they’re back together. Their story made me think of Jake and Dana. I wanted to go back and talk to Jake again and test my theory.”
He inclined his head, curious. “Which was?”
“That they’d quietly reunited at some point, but only pretended to hate each other until the investigation was over. Then they planned to leave town and start a new life together.”
The sheriff scribbled a few notes. “So they showed up at Tanya’s house together to kill Tatiana.” The sheriff set down his pen and rubbed the back of his head. “The couple that kills together, stays together, I guess.”
“They both hated Tatiana for ruining their relationship.”
“Funny how there are different reactions to similar behavior,” the sheriff said.
“How do you mean?”
“I never hated Tatiana for what she did. I felt sorry for her.”
I ran my hands along the arms of the chair—a nervous gesture because I was…well, nervous. “Before I go, I just want to apologize.”
“For?”
“Everything,” I blurted. “Having to treat you like a suspect. Bolan and I didn’t want to, but neither one of us wanted to turn the investigation over to that other sheriff either. He hates you too much.”
“I know and I appreciate that,” he said. “Not saying I liked the situation, but I understood.” He tapped the pen on the desk. “As far as everything else goes, you already apologized about a thousand times. You don’t need to keep doing it.”
I nodded. “How are you feeling about Tatiana?” I asked. “You must have mixed feelings about her death.”
“I can’t say I’ll miss her, but I never wanted her dead, no matter how awful she was.”
“Oh, I know that,” I said. “But you knew her well and…”
He scoffed. “Nobody knew Tatiana well, Rose. That fairy made sure of it. She had no interest in being genuine or kind or any of the traits that make us vulnerable to another living creature.”
“Still,” I said, “she’d been an important part of your life, however briefly.” Once upon a time, Tatiana had meant something to him. Part of him had to be grieving, whether he acknowledged it or not.
The sheriff returned his attention to the papers on his desk. “Is that it, Rose? Because I have a lot of work to do now that I’m back in the helm.”
I thumped my thumb on the arm of the chair. “I’m not good with this sort of thing. You know that.”
“Apologies?”
“Speaking from the heart,” I said. “My heart.”
“I’m guessing you and Hale are going to have some awfully quiet counseling sessions.”
My stomach jolted. “You know about that? Exactly how much of your day involves stalking me?”
“Heck, half the town knows about it,” he said. “The two of you are minor celebrities, don’t forget. The elusive vampire writer and a descendant of the One True Witch. Residents are interested.”
“I want to start off our relationship on the right foot,” I said.
“Maybe I should have suggested counseling from the get-go,” he said. “Maybe that was my first mistake.”
My throat went dry. “Your first mistake? You think of me as a mistake?”
His expression softened. “No, gods no. Of course not. I didn’t mean it like that, Rose. I just wish I could’ve done something differently, so that you would think of me the way you think of him.”
I drew my knees to my chest. I wanted to curl up in a ball and weep. “I’m so sorry, Granger. I wish that for you, too.”
“But not for you,” he said.
“How much do you hate me?” I whispered. “Is it an all-consuming hatred or a low hum of hatred that’s more like background noise?”
He stared at me intently. “If I didn’t hate Tatiana, do you seriously think I’d hate you? Don’t ever think that, Rose. I swear to you it’s not possible.”
Tears slid down my cheeks. “Why not? I’d hate me. I’ve been so unfair to you.”
He got up from the chair behind the desk and moved to sit in the seat next to mine. His hand covered mine. “Listen to me because I want to be perfectly clear about this. I do not hate you. I will never hate you. I love you too much for that.”
My chest tightened. He loved me and I’d treated him like a toy to be discarded when a shinier one came along. “I don’t deserve your love.”
He squeezed my hand. “Well, tough, because it’s yours whether you think you deserve it or not. I’m not going to stop loving you because you don’t feel the same, Rose. Real love doesn’t work that way. It settles into your bones. Becomes a part of who you are.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with that. I’d continued to love Alec even when I thought he felt nothing for me. It hurt like hell, but my feelings didn’t stop.
“While you and Hale are working on your relationship, I’ll be working on myself,” the sheriff said. “My goal is to get to the place where I can love you without expecting or hoping for something in return. I don’t know if I can do it, but I’m determined to try.”
I sniffed and nodded. “I do want to be friends, Granger.”
“And I’d like that, too, but I warn you, it might take time.” He released my hand. “I’m not perfect, Rose. I can’t just snap into whatever form you want me in now. My heart needs time to heal, to catch up with my head.”
Great balls of heartache, I hated myself for hurting him. “You deserve so much better than what I’ve given you.”
“Maybe one day the universe will agree with you,” he said. “So far, it’s been kind of a losing streak.”
I exhaled softly. “You’re amazing, do you know that?”
“I know, and so are you.” His mouth warmed to a grin. “We’ll get through this, you and me.”
I pushed myself to my feet. “I’m glad you think so. I don’t tend to have a lot of faith in general.”
> “Then I’ll have enough for the both of us.”
“Have a good day, Granger.” Instinctively, I bent to kiss his cheek, but then thought better of it and straightened.
He stared at his desk, pretending not to notice. “You, too, Rose.”
Marley stood in the front garden of the cottage, aiming her wand at the roses. PP3 waited patiently by her feet and I wondered what was going through his terrier mind. Did he think she was about to produce dog treats on the bushes?
I peered over her shoulder. “Which spell are you practicing?”
Marley jumped. “Mom! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” She craned her neck to give me a disapproving look.
“I wasn’t sneaking,” I said. “I walked out the front door. Didn’t even bother to tiptoe.”
She turned back to the roses. “I guess I was concentrating so hard that I didn’t hear you.”
“What’s your goal?” I asked, stepping beside her.
“I want to change the roses into tulips.”
“And you know the spell for that?” I asked.
She licked her lips. “Yes, I found it in the grimoire that Aunt Hyacinth gave me.”
“Maybe you should stick to spells you’re learning at the academy for now,” I suggested.
Marley eyed me. “Are you trying to stifle my growth?”
I laughed. “No, Marley. I’m trying to make sure you don’t wipe out all the roses and incur Aunt Hyacinth’s wrath.”
“She’s the one who gave me the grimoire,” Marley said. “I would think she’d be happy I’m trying to excel.”
I placed a hand on her arm. “Just take your time, Marley. I know you’re smart and capable, but you’re only eleven. There’s no rush.”
A car appeared in the distance and my heart skipped a beat when I recognized Alec’s sleek black sedan.
Marley brightened at the sight. “Is Alec coming for dinner?” she asked hopefully.
“Maybe?” I replied. If so, I had to figure out how to cook something quickly that didn’t burn. Ha! Good luck, Ember.
Marley seemed to forget about her spell and ran to greet the vampire. He emerged from the car holding a large container. “Good evening to my two favorite witches.”
“What’s in the container?” Marley asked. She inhaled deeply. “It smells delicious.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering one of my favorite meals from La Cucina,” he said. “I thought the three of us could have dinner together to celebrate solving Tatiana’s murder.”
PP3 barked his approval.
I think he means the four of us. Raoul appeared from around the corner of the cottage. No doubt the aroma reached his hiding spot.
“Ah, your bandit friend,” Alec said, his gaze alighting on the raccoon. “I suppose he’ll be joining us.”
Raoul scampered over. Food and a decent nickname? Have I mentioned how much I like this guy?
Bonkers flew to Marley’s shoulder, seemingly out of thin air. The winged cat must have also sensed the arrival of food. It was like living with a house full of teenagers.
“I’ll take this inside,” Marley said, and accepted the container from Alec. The animals trailed behind her like she was the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
I stood on my toes and gave Alec a kiss on the cheek. “This is a nice surprise. Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” the vampire said. “You kept your head and were able to figure out what really happened to Tatiana. As deplorable as she was, she deserves justice.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” I said. In a way, he and Sheriff Nash were more similar than they realized.
He looked into my eyes. “Were you afraid I wouldn’t? That I possess the ruthlessness of a vampire like Dana?”
“No, but I understand how hard it is to let go of strong emotions,” I said. “That even when you desperately want to let go, you can’t quite manage it.”
He circled an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. “I don’t want to let go, Ember. Not this time.”
I smiled. “Good, because neither do I.”
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Also by Annabel Chase
Spellbound
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10
Spellbound Ever After
Crazy For Brew, Book 1
Lost That Coven Feeling, Book 2
Wands Upon A Time, Book 3
Spellslingers Academy of Magic
Outcast, Warden of the West, Book 1
Outclassed, Warden of the West, Book 2
Outlast, Warden of the West, Book 3
Outlier, Sentry of the South, Book 1
Outfox, Sentry of the South, Book 2
Outbreak, Sentry of the South, Book 3
Outwit, Enforcer of the East, Book 1
Outlaw, Enforcer of the East, Book 2
Outrun, Keeper of the North, Book 1
Outgrow, Keeper of the North, Book 2
Magic & Mythos Page 17
